Deb’s Story

KT Humble Hearts was started from deep grief and sadness to bring hope and healing to others who are suffering.  We are a 501c3 Non-Profit organization, governed by a Board of Directors, that started in memory of my children, Kaylie and Tyler.  Kaylie passed away suddenly on June 5, 2013, from SUDEP.  Sudden Unexpected Death from Epilepsy.  This is when a perfectly healthy person who is on epileptic medication dies of cardiac arrest from a seizure. She was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 21 and died at 24 years of age. She was a teacher, engaged to be married, and on top of the world at the time of her death. 

As a family, we chose to bring good from this hardship by hosting Kaylie’s Memorial 5K on a Saturday closest to her 1st anniversary of passing.  That day was June 7, 2014.  Our son, Tyler, came up with a slogan for the event and a reminder of how we should all strive to live our lives.  Be Kind. Give More. Stay Humble.  KMH is Kaylie’s initial and is the way we choose to live our lives and keep her legacy alive.

 Tragically, 9 months and 2 days after Kaylie’s passing, and 3 months before Kaylie’s Memorial 5K, Tyler, along with 3 other young men from our small town of Sleepy Eye, MN, passed in a car accident on March 7, 2014.  There were 5 boys in the car and only the driver survived.  The boys hit ice around a corner, went into a skid, and collided with another vehicle.  Those in the other vehicle all survived.

 As our lives were falling apart, we chose to live out Tyler’s slogan and host the event on Kaylie’s first anniversary, in memory of Kaylie, Tyler, and the boys in the accident.  We changed the name from Kaylie’s Memorial Run to Kaylie and Tyler’s Faith Jam, added a 3 on 3 tournament, meal, and auction, and made it a day of praise in worship.  This event allowed us to launch KT Humble Hearts (K for Kaylie and T for Tyler, and both with the best humble hearts) and bring hope and healing to those who are grieving. We gave scholarships to three schools; Martin County West (where Kaylie taught) to Sleepy Eye Public and Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s, the schools in which the kids all attended.  We also provided funding for young people who passed suddenly and had no insurance, donated to Jerry’s Chasing Dreams to fight epilepsy, and gave books and resources to the grieving.

 We hosted Kaylie and Tyler’s Faith Jam from 2014 to 2017, and then my husband and I moved from Sleepy Eye, MN to Alexandria, MN.  Before moving to Alexandria, I was working as an Extension Educator for the University of Minnesota Extension but felt a call to move into work with those who were grieving.  From 2018 until March of 2024, I was fortunate to work for a hospice service where I provided spiritual care to our patients and their families, and then moved into full-time bereavement care after the patient passed away.

Our foundation didn’t do much for a few years as we were living in a new location and no one knew who we were in Alexandria.  My bonus (step) daughter, Jessica, wanted KTHH to host a Remembrance Walk in Alexandria, not for our family, but for anyone and everyone who has lost a loved one.  We hosted our first event in 2021 on beautiful Lake Brophy in Alexandria, and have made it an annual event held on the second Sunday of September.  It has been amazing, and we are fortunate to raise money for our foundation.  This year we offered it in both Alexandria and Sleepy Eye, and both were well attended.

On April 16, 2024, I left my hospice job as I felt God was calling me to serve a broader audience.  As I was planning to go out on my own as Deb Hadley Coaching, I felt God telling me I was not ever to go it alone.  I was to utilize KT Humble Hearts to truly be a grief resource service that would reach far and wider than I ever thought possible, and I would need a team to do the work God has set before me.

I listened to the call and am now a full-time employee through KT Humble Hearts.  My sister-in-law is a part-time employee and we are training others to provide grief support to the many in need.  I have an amazing team of 8 Board of Directors who are Servant Leaders and tirelessly volunteer their time and talent to the larger mission. 

KT Humble Hearts opened its doors in our physical place in Alexandria in June of 2024.  On August 8, 2024, we became a member of the Chamber of Commerce and have been off and running ever since! We now provide 1:1 grief support as well as grief groups virtually and in person. We offer workshops and events to help people grow in faith, and heal from the inside out. We organize remembrance events so people can remember and honor their loved ones who have passed before them, and we are a beacon of hope and healing for those who are suffering. 

We have turned our pain and suffering into purpose.  That purpose is to serve and honor God and help the next person in line.